‘After nearly annihilating the world, the families have become friends’: the thrilling podcast from John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world came nearer to destruction than at any other point in the contemporary era. This occurred when an American surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Russian atomic missile sites were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, U.S. President JFK commanded the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to establish a naval blockade around Cuba. The next phase was almost 14 days of extreme anxiety.

The Catastrophic Danger

The danger was palpable. Should President Kennedy, or else the Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes would have followed, plunging mankind into all-out destruction.

This pivotal 1962 event has been examined endlessly, through books, films, and television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series The Bomb presents a completely new dimension into this historical narrative. It is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva, relatives belonging to the men who, for two tense weeks, held the destiny of the planet in their hands.

"What were the Kremlin thinking? What was the American side considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s descendant and a professor specializing in international affairs.

In her view, the unique appeal of the show lies in its endeavor to explore: "How can people hate one another and go against one another?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that people have the potential to be allies or else have the potential to be complete adversaries," remarks Max Kennedy, the son of RFK, nephew of the late president and currently a writer as well as lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

The Brink of Catastrophe

What’s remarkable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired in the global spotlight, citizens worldwide could watch almost in real time while it moved closer to disaster. Even so, the threat of destruction came closer than what most people realised.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," says Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked Cuba with the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would have launched a tactical nuclear weapon against the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have obliterated our naval vessels and sunk America's largest and most important naval force. And, we would have retaliated through massive retaliation that would have eradicated most life on Earth."

The reality this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to remain calm while calmly negotiate at a time when everyone around them were advocating action. As a result, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The relief was immense, as was a feeling of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts were born shortly after the crisis, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet school curriculum, which portrayed an alternative picture of events.

"You said your parent recalls it, describing it as a scary day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware a great deal about it, because it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are always wonderful or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, though, the perspective was distinct. "They told me what a great moment for the USSR, because it was a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, and didn’t start a global war, which was a wonderful thing," she adds. In the years to come, however, that view was not held by everybody. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a setback for the Soviet leader, because he didn’t blow up the United States."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is so even-handed and well produced so much so that Nina quips it almost made her forget she already knew outcome. This effect is, in part, thanks to the participation of renowned scholars. Yet, truly, the most groundbreaking aspect is the participation of the descendants. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable for descendants of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and be so warm toward one another, has to be a symbol of progress.

"We are not the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After 1991, my uncle moved to America and became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers before the podcast," adds Max. "That is a shame since we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, after nearly 60 years of almost destroying the planet, our families are now allies, suggesting global relations is safer, a little bit."

Modern Echoes and Current Dangers

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason this series feels so necessary is because we now find ourselves living through a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight than ever before, partly since world leaders appear not to be able to comprehend